November 1, 2025
Patch cords vs progress
Reconfigurable Analog Computers
Analog comeback: self‑wiring math machines spark hype and eye‑rolls
TLDR: A new paper touts self‑reconfiguring analog computers to ease wiring pain and save power as digital hits limits. Comments split between a shrugging “we’ve seen this” take and a nostalgic SIMSTAR throwback, debating whether analog’s revival is real progress or just retro vibes.
Old‑school analog computers — the ones that use voltages and knobs instead of code — are back in the chat because digital chips are running hot and hungry. Bernd Ulmann’s new paper pitches automatic reconfiguration (think: self‑wiring) so you don’t have to spend days doing cable yoga and twiddling 10‑turn knobs anymore.
The comments instantly split into two vibes. One camp shrugs: Marshferm drops a drive‑by zinger, “Ullmann to the rescue,” and compares the community’s indifference to how Detroit shrugged off electric cars. Translation: cool idea, but don’t expect everyone to care. The other camp is full nostalgia flex. Animats name‑drops SIMSTAR, a 1980s system that already did software‑controlled analog re‑wiring: tiny electronic switches (field‑effect transistors, or FETs) steered signals around, while a Motorola 68000 chip acted as the traffic cop. Cue the “we had this working decades ago” energy.
So the thread’s drama is classic: is this a comeback or just retro cosplay? Fans say analog co‑processors could curb power waste when digital hits limits, especially if they can auto‑rewire on demand. Skeptics roll their eyes and ask whether the industry will actually care this time. And yes, there were jokes about spaghetti patch panels and knob‑twiddling PTSD — because the pain of the old analog era is the meme that keeps giving.
Bottom line: the paper promises fewer cables, more click‑to‑configure; the crowd serves up half hype, half history lesson.
Key Points
- •Classic analog computer programming required manual patching of many connections and setting numerous precision potentiometers.
- •Removable patch panels simplified some steps but program switching remained slow and expensive.
- •Interest in analog co-processors has risen as digital computers face physical limits in energy, clock frequency, and integration density.
- •Automatic reconfiguration controlled by an attached digital computer is necessary for practical analog co-processing.
- •The article presents an overview of classic and modern autopatch systems for reconfigurable analog computers.